The control and operational systems of a wide variety of apparatus such as motor vehicles, appliances, industrial equipment and the like, include a large number of electrical devices such as relays, fuses, and switches. In most instances, these electrical devices must be capable of being removed and replaced from the associated equipment to allow for assembly, maintenance and repair; therefore, such devices typically include plug-in terminals which engage corresponding connector terminals in the power distribution system of the associated equipment. Therefore, motor vehicles and other equipment typically include a terminal assembly, often disposed within an electrical power distribution box.
Many of the electrical devices carry relatively large electrical currents. In addition, motor vehicles and industrial equipment typically encounter mechanical shocks, large temperature cycles, and adverse environmental conditions in the course of their use. Therefore, the terminal assemblies employed in such systems need to be rugged, stable, and capable of carrying relatively large amounts of electrical power. In addition, it is generally desirable that the terminal assemblies themselves do not introduce unwanted resistance into the electrical circuit. Because of the foregoing considerations, terminal assemblies heretofore employed in motor vehicles and industrial equipment typically included terminal interfaces fabricated from a number of discrete mechanical components such as spring contacts, electrically conductive metal frets, prong assemblies and molded socket members, all of relatively complex design. Such assemblies are large in size, expensive and heavy. In addition, the presence of a number of discrete components can give rise to failures, particularly when the assemblies are subject to mechanical vibration or thermal stress.
Clearly, motor vehicles and other systems would benefit from the use of a terminal assembly which is lightweight, reliable, small in size, and easy to fabricate. As will be explained in further detail hereinbelow, the present invention provides a terminal assembly which is monolithic, and as used herein, the term shall refer to a terminal assembly which is formed from a unitary body of material and which provides reliable and secure contact to the terminal without the need to employ any separate components such as springs, inserts, retainers, or connectors. It is to be understood that the terminal interface of the present invention may, in some instances, include one or more separate components, such as auxiliary connector terminals, cable connectors and the like affixed thereto; however, such auxiliary components do not function to retain the terminals of the electronic devices; therefore, terminal interfaces including such auxiliary hardware are still considered monolithic within the context of this disclosure.
As will be explained in detail, the terminal interface of the present invention is fabricated from a particularly configured body of electrically insulating material having an electrically conductive pattern disposed thereupon. While the prior art has recognized that metalized polymeric components can be utilized to establish electrical contact to various devices and systems, the prior art has not ever utilized metalized polymers to make a monolithic terminal assembly capable of both powering and supporting relatively large, multi-terminal electrical devices such as fuses, relays and the like. Metalized polymeric connectors are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,795,171; 5,427,532; 5,127,838; 5,647,768; 5,626,483 and 5,743,764. However, none of the foregoing patents disclose the terminal assembly of the present invention.